The Indomitus Crusade Begins - Cerberus

Planet: Cerberus.
Region: Cerberus Sector.
999.M41

Death Guard vs Skitarii.
2000 points.
Mission: Contact Lost.

As part of the Domitus Crusade Guilliman leads the armies of the Imperium against the Death Guard held worlds of the Cerberus sector. Too long has the Imperium reacted when it should have been acting. The primary target is the world of Cerberus itself.
The Imperial flotilla translated into real space a week beyond the borders of the system. Firing their engines once they powered down all but essential systems and drifted through the outer dust cloud, through asteroid fields and past the three vast gas giants which give the system its name. Undetected by the orbital defence platforms the Imperial fleet was able to launch a surprise attack. Opening several holes in the orbital defences and allowing assault forces through to make planetfall.
The main targets at this stage were the power generators that fed the mighty planet's defences. While elements of the space marines struck at any, the vital task of capturing genertorium X334 fell to the Cult Mechanicus. Great landers descended under heavy fire to deploy the ground forces and launch the initial attack.

Round two of our current league and one of the last 7th edition battles I'll have (though our league will continue with 7th edition until completed). My opponent this round was Chris and his Skitarii. Last time we played he crushed me with ease so I was not hopeful going into this battle but as with all things you have to give it a good try.

The game started well and we were both able to knock hull points off each other's vehicles and one or two troops died. I managed to grab a couple objectives and Chris did likewise. Come turn two however and it all went to pot. He outflanked three units of Sydonian Dragoons and in this game they proved to be my undoing. I found it hard to balance going forward with protecting my rear. I did managed to grab three objectives in one turn however but it was as good as my game got this round.

Round three and the Dragoons had my chaos marines locked in combat. In once such combat my champion defeated his infiltrator champion and was elevated to daemon prince! But even he was not able to stop the Dragoons and died two turns later. This was really where the game turned in my opponents favour. He was slowly gunning down everything I had, including my terminators, land raider and the chaos knight! My poor chaos marines being fearless couldn't leave combat so sat there hammering away impotently as his forces snatched objective card after objective card.

When the game ended Chris had one 11 points to my 4. Close enough that I was reasonably happy with the outcome. The outflanking was what hurt me most. Those dragoons are very tough to deal with but as I had expected either Belasrius Caul or a Knight Atropos, I was pleased with how my marines held up under pressure.

With the chaos lord slain the few surviving Death Guard soon fell back into the ash swamps to undoubtably regroup. The other generator facilities had fallen as well and with them now fully in Imperial hands the remaining drop ships began to deploy the mainstay of the army. Facility X334 would become the command centre for the Imperial war effort.

Worlds of the Narrative - updated

So, with the release of 8th edition and the changes to the universe of Warhammer 40K, I've updated what the narratives will be. And here are the lists of those narrative battles against specific opponents. Some are old classics but there are some new ones, and additional war zones will be added as and when needed.

Abraxes.
The world of Abraxes had already fallen to the Death Guard after a lengthy campaign. Space marines and guardsmen alike had fallen to Nurgle's gentle caress. It was then that the sorcerers felt a disruption to their connection to the Immaterium - the Shadow in the Warp! From the ruins arose a host of foul genestealers and from the void comes a terrible foe. The Death Guard have claimed this world and will not let the Great Devourer to take it from them now.
Expected Defenders: Genestealer Cult and Tyranids.

Artica.
A cold ice once that once held an ancient Cult Mechanicus stronghold. Abaddon seeks a relic from deep within the vaults and has sought aid from Typhus to recover it. Once the stronghold is located Abbadon turns on his would be allies, not wishing to share the power that hums deep beneath the surface. On the cold frozen wastelands the Black Legion and Death Guard wage war for control of a potential doomsday device.
Expected Defenders: Black Legion.

Bludhaven.
Launching an attack upon a lightly protected Imperial world the servants of Nurgle find that another foe has already taken the planet for their own. The Greenskins have decimated the planet and enslaved any survivours. The Death Guard deploy from space into the Ork lines fighting for the glory of Nurgle and their own wrath at having lost the opportunity to decimate this world themselves!
Expected Defenders: Orks.

Caseopeia.
A mining colony unlucky enough to lay in the path of Typhus' plague fleet. The traveller orders his legion to attack the Imperial mining facilities. Initially successful, the Death Guard then find themselves under alien attack from a superior raiding force of Eldar pirates. Forced into the desert badlands, Typhus must find a way to defeat the foul xenos if the Death Guard can seize the promethium supplies and return to their ships.
Expected Defenders: Aeldari Corsairs.

Cerberus.
The Domitus Crusade has begun. Guilliman leads the armies of the Imperium to war against it's enemies. One such target is a region of space known as the Cerberus sector - a region of space held by the Death Guard for over two millennia. The armies of the Imperium descend upon those stars seeking to cleanse them of the foul taint of Nurgle.
Expected Defenders: Armies of the Imperium.

Delphi Majoris.
Sometimes even the rival powers of the Warp have common interest. The newly risen Reborn of Ynnead have come to this once pristine world searching for some ancient and powerful artifact with which to upset the balance of power in the universe. In an unusual alliance, Nurgle has brokered a pact with Slaanesh, and the plaguefather has dispatched his favoured sons to stop the Aeldari before they can find the relic that they seek.
Expected Defenders: Harlequins and Ynnari.

Fandrel.
The Tau Empire's fifth great expansion has brought to an Imperial world long sought by the Empire for it's mineral wealth. They arrive only to find that the world has already fallen to the Death Guard. Still intent on capturing this world the Empire has called for aid from the empire but will help arrive before the sons of Nurgle eliminate the invaders?
Expected Defenders: Tau Empire.

Grendel.
Advancing into the frontiers of the Tau Empire, the Death Guard fall upon the world of Grendel. This world lies within the sphere of influence for the Farsight Enclaves, a worthy adversary for the sons of Mortarion. If Grendel can fall, it leaves the Death Guard within easy striking range of several other Tau systems.
Expected Defenders: Farsight Enclaves.

Hell's Landing.
A tectonically unstable death world on the edge of the Cicatrix Maledictum. <information withheld by Inquisitorial mandate>

Miridian.
The Death Guard had successfully captured the world of Miridian from the Imperium. Typhus began to turn the planet into his own place of power from which to launch attacks upon Cadia. A few weeks after the Death Guard won the planet, they came under attack from a raiding force of Dark Eldar eager for slaves and to sow confusion.
Expected Defenders: Drukhari

Oblivion.
A dark world on the fringes of Blood Angel controlled space. The Death Guard have laid siege and have successfully eradicated the human defenders. A telepathic transmission has reached the ruins of Baal and the sons of Sanguineous have come to seek righteous vengeance.
Expected Defenders: Blood Angels.

Perditia.
A world on the edge of space protected by the Dark Angels chapter. Reports have come to the Dark Angels that the so called "Voice of the Emperor" is here and have come in full chapter strength to capture him. Shortly after they arrive, the plague fleets arrive in system. Cypher's old allies from the Fall of Cadia have come to answer his summons.
Expected Defenders: Dark Angels.

Sanctum.
The world of Sanctum was once part of the mighty Aeldari empire in the days before the Fall. Drawn here by their dark master, the Death Guard seek to defile this world sacred to the alien filth. The Craftworlds cannot allow the remains of their holy sites to be defiled and burst from the webway to stop them.
Expected Defenders: Craftworld Aeldari.

Susperia.
The Ruinous Powers are fickle and forever seek to prove their dominance over their brethren. Deep in the Eye of Terror, they draw their forces, pitting them against once another in a war of ideology. Forced to fight and die for the glory of their patrons the forces of Chaos battle in a war eternal.
Expected Defenders: Chaos Daemons, Death Guard, Emperor's Children, Thousand Sons and World Eaters.

Svartos.
The Death Guard have set up a base of operations on the volcanic ice world of Svartos. Their frequent raids into Imperial space around the systems protected by the Space Wolves has brought the wrath of that chapter down upon them. Among the lava flows and ice flats, the two ancient enemies do savage battle.
Expected Defenders: Space Wolves.

Tethys Ultima.
A barren dead world long forgotten by the powers of the galaxy. The Death Guard have claimed this lost world as a base of operations for their raids into the surrounding sectors. Little do they know that below them lies a vast Necron tomb. The construction efforts on the surface have triggered ancient defence mechanisms and the machines have begun to awaken, arming to destroy the interlopers on their ancient home world.
Expected Defenders: Necrons.

Worlds of the narrative update

Due to the changes in the 40K plot/fluff with 8th edition I am considering moving my narratives forward as well as some games may not make sense with new units and characters that were not around before hand. The recent previews from Games Workshop show some major changes so I may be dropping several of the current narratives in favour of some new ones that will then be set. I know it feels a bit like a cop out, and it does me slightly as well, but like the change in rules for the game I think it will be for the best.

Vertical Envelopment - D'Then

Planet: D'Then.
Region: Perdus Rift.
990.M41

Death Guard vs Tau Empire.
2000 points.
Mission: Vertical Envelopment.

Pushed back by the superior might of the Tau military, the Death Guard have been forced into a defensive line stretched thin across the fields of D'Then's northern continent. The Tau have taken advantage if this by breaking through the lines at key points and then swinging their grav tanks around behind the chaos lines to flank them. Whittle the defenders piece by piece.

My friend Adam has been contemplating giving up 40K due to a couple reasons. I'm trying to tempt him back especially with 8th edition around the corner, so I bribed him (with a sealed XV-88 battle suit box) to give me another match against his Tau. We picked a Tau mission from Altar of War and went for it.

The mission represents exactly what the fluff blurb says. The Tau are engaging the enemy on one side while dropping or outmanoeuvring their skimmers behind the enemy lines. He deployed 9'' from the centre on his side of the table, spreading out across the board edge. Taking advice from a couple friends I decided to consolodate everything of mine behind cover in one corner. The idea being that because his skimmers and flyers must come in from my board edge they would have a harder time of it. In the end I felt he skimped out by only taking a Barracuda and no skimmers.

I decided not to steal the initiative because I felt that with night fight in play for the first turn plus everything getting a cover save he would have a wasted a turn. As it turns out his army was geared for night fighting so I lost that benefit and his markerlights removed any cover save. First shot of the game and my Land Raider went boom, forcing my Chaos Lord and his Terminators to foot slog it across the table.

My first turn and the Chaos Knight marched forward. Heavy stubber smoking one Fire Warrior while the thermal cannon took out half a squad sitting in a Tidewall gun platform. Unfortunately we couldn't find the rules in the rule book for the emplacement for a couple turns so we left it alive for a time. It did go boom eventually after we found it but the loss of that might have changed a few things. But it didn't matter as it was just a fun game anyway.

With everything else I was just too cautious. It's a kill point mission but I did not want to run the risk of giving him points by moving forward into the open. I wanted Adam to come to me which isn't going to happen with Tau.

Turn two and his Barracuda came in. Thankfully my Knight's invulnerable save kicked in and protected it from everything he threw at it. That thing was going to be a pain this game. Normally it's not such a problem but Adam had great shooting rolls all game. He then proceeded to have to follow my Knight around the table.

More shooting followed from the Tau and I lost my Predator before it could do much more than knock a wound of his Riptide. My Helbrute dropped easily to a Ghostkeel. It was only once his Crisis Battle Suits came down on my side that things changed. He wrecked by Rhino's and it allowed my Chaos Marines to assault them and lock them in combat for the rest of the game. My Raptors ended up the same way, until at the end I had one left locked in with three battle suits. None of these units were able to hurt one another which was frustrating.

By this time Adam was soaring ahead in victory points. That was about to change. He had slowly been knocking hull points of my Chaos Knight. After it had slain his Riptide with a mighty D hit from it's chainsword, it turned it's attention to the Pathfinders on a ruin. The massive overwatch fire took the last hull point and we were treated to an apocalyptic explosion. Adam had never seen this before. The blast destroyed three units plus his war lord and the Tidewall. Talk about boom!

At that point the game ended turn 5, just in time as the venue was getting ready to close for the night. Adam was well ahead on 10 victory points but that massive explosion launched me from 1 to 7 in a single roll. Well done to Adam.

Hopefully Adam will continue to play 40K after this. We also discussed replaying this mission under 8th with the same units (new points allowing) to see how it will play out now that vehicles will have toughness and wound scores.

My deployment corner after losing the Land Raider.

Sneaky Tau out on the flank.

The Barracuda swooping in from behind my lines.

8th edition detachments

I've kept quiet on recent 8th edition posts from GW because I've been largely on the fence with their AoS style rules and because other blogs will probably do a better of reviewing them than I can. But saying that we have a new one today featuring detachments.

I've always felt that 40K needed different types of detachments. The traditional combined arms detachment (CAD) is rather boring after all these years. To my knowledge other than a few recent specific ones in books like Traitor Legions, we've only had two other generic detachments - attacker and defender, from Stronghold Assault. Now, it looks like we have them in 8th for, at a guess, different point value games more than anything.

Patrol is probably the first choice for a basic or introductory game.

Battalion is probably for your 1000 point games.

Brigade I would guess is your big ass 2000 point plus game for the whole day.

I did notice that none of the three detachments presented today have either fortifications or lords of war presented. I hope that they don't just appear in larger and larger detachments. 

Sadly though formations do not get a look in. No more. I find that a real shame as I like formations due to how nice and fluffy they make each factions armies.

The post from Games Workshop does leave me with a couple questions. One, can you take multiple detachments? Could I take a Brigade detachment and a Battalion detachment together, and if so do command points stack? Secondly, can we still take allies? Our primary being one detachment and the allies being a smaller detachment? Only time will tell.

New FAQ for 8th

So we have had the new 8th edition FAQ from Games Workshop. Not sure what to make of it but looking forward to seeing it. However, I'm a bit miffed that after waiting so long for Traitor Legions it looks like it has already been invalidated under the new rules. However, I'm expecting the new Codex: Death Guard to be the first new book of the edition which will be cool.

Ambush Attempt - Tanis IV

Planet: Tanis IV.
Region: Loki Sector.
990.M41

Death Guard vs Crimson Fists
2000 points.
Mission: Capture and Control.

A renowned commander has taken up the mantle of leadership on the ruined world of Tanis IV. Under his command the Crimson Fists may be able to seize control of a location of vital strategic importance. Typhus has ordered one of his lieutenants to stage an ambush and assassinate the space marine commander. The Death Guard lay in wait on the edges of a fallen city while the space marines approach. When the enemy convoy reaches optimal range the order is given and battle is joined.

This match was a club league match against my friend Muffin and his Crimson Fists space marines. Muffin and I have a good 50/50 ratio against one another but he has terrible luck with his dice a lot of the time. With that in mind I was hoping for a nice easy victory to kick start me in the league's first round. However, what happened in this match was the complete opposite.

At the start of the game he had some shocking luck. First move of the game and he immobilized his vindicator in some woods. His techmarine spent the rest of the game trying to fix it and failing ever time. He was successful in grabbing one objective though. My first turn saw me snag the same tactical objective and knock a wound from his captain.

Turn two and he focus fired on my chaos knight and I failed every single 4+ invulnerable save. Muffin burnt it to the ground before it had a chance to do anything. I was gutted but still hopeful that I had a chance. Unfortunately he also knocked out my rhinos leaving me effectively stranded in my own deployment zone. Nurgle was against me it seems as I drew two Death Guard objective cards which didn't help (get three units into his deployment zone and pass 7 FNP rolls in the same phase).

The game turned at this point as I couldn't pass a Feel No Pain roll if I tried. His dice kicked in big time however. When my heldrake flew in it took a wound off a centurion and was then knocked out of the sky by grav cannons all managing that 6 to hit roll. Tactical objectives were not helping as I drew cards which there was no way I was going to be able to manage. By this point Muffin was up to 8 victory points.

Throughout turn 3 and 4 I succeeded in taking down a dreadnought and two units of scouts but that was it. Having that awful corner to corner deployment hurt me going forward once the rhinos were gone. His list was heavy with lascannons which just popped me as I tried to go forward. At the end of turn 4 Muffin was up to 11 victory points and I still only had 1 so I conceded the match.

His dice and objectives deck were working for him perfectly and mine were against me. I'm pleased that he got a win for the league though. Good game but very frustrating for me.

The Crimson Fists convoy deploys quickly once ambushed. 

The heldrake swoops in and then promptly implodes.

Crimson Fists deadnought shortly before taking two melta hits to the face.

Death Guard in morbid silence yet jubilant at the dreadnought's destruction.

The Death Guard deployment.

Codex Death Guard?

A while ago we got this teaser for the Death Guard with some nice new models and what looks like a hint at Mortarion himself. There hasn't been anything since then but I'm hoping that we'll see them at the start of May. Fingers crossed.

The Artefact - Delphi Majoris

Planet: Delphi Majoris.
Region: Ghoul Stars
Date: 999.M41

Death Guard vs Reborn Warhost.
2000 points.
Mission: The Artefact.

Scans of the planet's surface along with subtle hints from the warp picked out something of value among the ruins of an ancient alien civilisation. Typhus eager to recover this artefact deployed with a small war band to capture it. Once the ancient relic was picked out among the ruins, he hoped to escape with it. As they marched across the ruins, the sound of jetbike engines brought them to a halt. A combined Eldar force under Yvraine had already arrived and were headed for the artefact themselves.

This game was set up with my friend Mike so that I could get a game against the new Reborn of Ynnead. We didn't pick a mission until the day so I put forward another from my list from the Altar of War book. It's basically a variation of the Relic mission but requires getting it off the table not just holding it and it could be a random one of three potential objectives set along the centre line of the table. As it happens it was the centre objective.

I set my transports and main force up centrally on my side of the table hoping to be able to head towards whichever objective turned out to be the real artefact. A unit of raptors on either side gave me some fast moving units to tie up the enemy if necessary and a helbrute to deal with any vehicles or enemy infantry. My opponent set his three jetbike (eldar and harlequins) squads up in a line at the rear of his table edge. At the forefront he had a large unit of farseers, Yvraine, the Visarch and an archon at the front.

My Death Guard had the first turn and I simply moved everything up towards the objective. The raptor units went forward on their jump packs to get closer to the enemy. The land raider managed to take out one harlequin jetbike but that was all I could manage. On Mike's first turn his jetbikes sped closer and took out a rhino and a handful of chaos marines. Mike's shooting and psychic screams were good enough that he was able to bring in the Yncarne first turn.

I was then able to lock the Yncarne in combat for a couple rounds with the survivours of a chaos marine sqaud and the helbrute. While Typhus led his terminators into the central ruins I had my second chaos marine squad run in and grab the relic from the dust. The raptors lept into the bike squads on both flanks. I lost a few to overwatching fire but enough survived to lock them in combat for the rest of the game. Neither side seemed able to lay that final killing blow.

Once into the middle of the ruins my chaos marines didn't stand a chance. Mike's psychic phase was just incredible. He was able to raise his invulnerable saves and grant Yvraine's unit invisibility. Once in combat neither my chaos marines nor terminators were able to hit let alone wound any of the unit. The archon took Typhus' challenge but twice Typhus suffered a wound from his rebellious daemon weapon. Eventually he fell and Nurgle snatched him from the battlefield.

Come turn four and my whole centre line was gone and the artefact was in the hands of Yvraine. All I had left was the surviving raptors but they remained locked in combat so I conceded.

So I was quite surprised by the reborn. From watching youtube battle reports I was expecting the soul burst mechanic to be a lot more irritating but in this game it didn't seem to do much at all. In the end it was the psychic phase that gave Mike the game. I just couldn't cope with what he was able to put out, mainly psychic scream and invisibility.

Yvraine held up the ancient device. Turning it over in her hands she studied the ancient alien language. How this object would lead her to the lost crone sword was unknown but it was a start. What she sought was here on this world hidden among the bones of a long dead civilisation. Casting an eye to the horizon she saw signs of approaching vehicles and the sound of marching feet. The foul warriors of Nurgle were coming and in greater numbers. They would have to fight if they were to recover the weapon before the enemy found it.

Harlequin jetbikes race to their doom! 

The Yncarne battles the forces of the Death Guard. 

Death Guard and the Reborn of Ynnead fight in the ruins of a dead world. 

Yvraine and her escort.

The Red Giant - Susperia

Planet: Susperia.
Region: Eye of Terror.
Time has no meaning in the Warp.

Death Guard vs Thousand Sons.
2000 points.
Mission: Cloak and Shadows.

Poxus the Pestulent had roared in rage at being brought to this vile world against his will. Determined to prove his worth to Nurgle in order to return to his wars of conquest in the real universe, he marched his small war band through the ever changing wastes until his scouts reported movement. 
In what appeared to be the crumbled ruins of an ancient fortress he spied the fearsome Magnus the Red and his sorcerers plotting their own escape from Susperia. Eager to please the Plague Father, Poxus let rip a battle cry and charged forth with his marines in tow.

This match was a challenge from Marko who had pointed out that I haven't played against him for about three years, so I figured why not. That he is one of just two local players with Magnus just clinched it. I knew going in that I was not going to win this game but I wanted to play against a Primarch.

So we played the traditional long side to long side deployment. I was lucky to get the side with three objectives within close proximity and made sure to deploy close enough to grab them for Nurgle straight off the bad. It meant that the Thousand Sons would have to march forward and hopefully buy me some time. Marko had expected tanks and maybe my Knight but I wasn't going to risk him turning fire on my own guys - not realising that that particular power doesn't work on vehicles.

I had turn 1 and not much happened. I managed to inflict a couple wounds but not much else. Secured one objective. His first turn was far more effective. I lost one helbrute, a couple terminators and one terminator was transformed into a spawn.

Turn 2 and I had two secure objective 6 cards. Number 6 was in his deployment zone guarded by Rhubric Marines. I sent one Helbrute forward and my bike squad intercepted his sorcerer bike squad but combat was not with me. Raptors came in but deviated into a position that would lead to them being struck by superior firepower. My terminators slew the spawn that was their fallen brethren. Marko then proceeded to tear through almost everything I had. Bikes slain, and through copies psychic shenanigans I lost all but two terminators, both rhinos and my raptors lost half their number. I had lost half my army just down to psychic powers.

Turn 3 and my chaos lord challenged Magnus. I had hoped that I might be able to absorb a few hits and then strike back with the relic weapon pusbringer. Instead, Magnus instant death'ed my lord and cut the remaining terminators in half. Marko then preceded to immobilise my helbrute heading for the objective 6. My chaos marines and remaining raptors brutally cut down.

Turn 4 and I conceded. I had 9 models left. I had 3 victory points and Marko had 8.

Interesting game but very one sided. Perhaps in the hands of a less competitive player it would have been more fun. As far as I could see Marko was getting his rules right but the high psychic dice is the best way to play them and it hurt lots. At some point I'll challenge Danny and his Thousand Sons, and see how different that game will be.

"That spawn looks an awful lot like Barry!!!" 

Thousand Sons encircle and slaughter the Death Guard. 

 Magnus tramples across my sorcerer.

Deployment 

Chaos Lord and his retinue.